[intransitive]prospect (for something)to search an area for gold, minerals, oil, etc.Thousands moved to the area to prospect for gold.(figurative)to prospect for new clientsWord Originlate Middle English (as a noun denoting the action of looking towards a distant object): from Latinprospectus

‘view’

, from prospicere

‘look forward’

, from pro-

‘forward’

+ specere

‘to look’

. Early use, referring to a view of landscape, gave rise to the meaning ‘mental picture’ (mid 16th cent.), which led to the meaning ‘anticipated event’.